TRIPLE ON
by Kiro Kiro Tuzi
Summary: The Batter must purify the streets of Jersuha, an industrial giant shrouding its citizens in a world of black smoke and impurity. He will fulfill his mission, or give in to the pernicious city.(Rated M for vulgar language, violence, and future, minor sexual themes.)
1. One Purifier

Over the sky and land's intersection stood a wide, lanky silhouette of black. The fumes released through massive ducts created a floating beast, cloaking the odd shape from the Sun. Far away from the industrial giant sat the quiet rural town of Gershom, a sanctuary from it's older brother. Many citizens flee and seek refuge within its farmland, hoping to find a better life. Pleading to confess and ask for forgiveness. And they do. They scream their sin until there's nothing left. They peel their dirty skin and burn it as a sacrifice. For the Sun is unable to see through the hazardous smoke of Jerusha, and without its sight, all men are unholy. Everyday, screams are heard. Fire burns. The ashes litter the town in small dark patches. By nightfall, natural residents would collect the ashes and pour them into a massive gourd, locked away in a cellar.

"The cellar protects us from whatever sin may still be alive and unbent. It... changes people if you're not too careful... We usually burn them too." Jair, the towns innkeeper, informs a resident as they sit and drink tea in the lobby. His listener, a tall man with a pale and emotionless complexion, analyzes Jair's information quietly. Jerusha is a city of omen and must be eradicated. But what can he do. He's a mere thing sitting his life away, listening to the innkeeper's tales. "Um. I don't mean to pry... But you've been here an awful lot of times, and you've never given me your name." Jair picks up his teacup and takes a sip. The silent character glances at the innkeeper before fixing his eyes at his untouched tea once more.

"I'm The Batter. I was made to purify the world. And I failed." The Batter says with little to no feeling. He's stripped from power. He's no longer the savior nobody knew. He's a resident of Gershom, a well known... Thing. Taller than the rest of the townspeople, soulless and white eyed. Everyone knew him without a doubt. Weak and humble, he is now under an oasis of compressed safety and vulnerability. Gershom is not a safe place, he noted. It is always in the face of danger, one newcomer after the other.

"That's... Interesting," Jair says with his soft and shy voice. His fingers dance around the teacup anxiously, feeling its soft porcelain surface. "Are you, umm... Comfortable telling me... Why you failed?"

"I'm not."

"...Okay..."

"I'll be leaving now." The batter stands and pushes his chair in, suddenly noting his cup full of tea. He picks it up and drinks its contents, later setting it back down on its dish.

"Okay... Be careful." Jair collects the teacups and takes them away, shaking quietly as he watches The Batter leave the inn. He's worrying about him, wondering where he will go now. If he'll ever come back. It was always like that. The Batter would leave. Everyone would wonder if he will return. He does. The story repeats. Today is different. He exits the inn and heads north. Some residents stop their cleaning and watch as he lowly walks away from Gershom. There is no intent. There is no clear reason. But he's leaving Gershom. Leaving for a very long time. Jair can see it too, from the building window. His soul is awake and shaking furiously for The Batter's safety. "He's not coming back this time... Isn't he...?" Jair whispers to himself, breathing heavily under the weight of a muted panic. Step by step, the town grows quieter. Their resident, their first resident, is leaving.

 _Walk to find a purpose,_

 _Walk to find your soul,_

 _Walk faster to leave,_

 _Walk faster to breathe,_

 _Run to find your purpose,_

 _Run to leave,_

 _Run to be the savior,_

 _Run to escape reality._

"He's... Gone..."

-ON ON ON-

Jerusha, an enormous city up north, vomits smoke from its buildings and factories. The ugly silhouette of the city now glows to life as The Batter walks towards it. If he can gain his powers back by entering the city, he can purify it and bring peace to Gershom and whatever town that sat around this supergiant. The air grows thinner every step, but he moves on. There is no point in turning back now. The Batter sees a light that beckons him to move forth. To come and take it while the opportunity lasts. It's a weak flame and with time flowing faster, it can burn out before he can reach it. But the world suddenly becomes a blur. The Batter's out of breath and choking inside the thin air of Jerusha.

How do people live inside raw smoke. It's painful. It hurts my lungs. I'm dying.

The flame is almost nothing at all as The Batter falls down to his knees and coughs. A sound is heard, a distant mewing as The Batter closes his eyes and falls over. People come out of the smoke. But can you crawl back in?

"It seems this man here is in need of immediate medical attention. Make haste and help me take him to my apartment."


	2. Two Cats

"I've brought in a guest, Valerie. He's unconscious from the smoke. Surely you'll help him recover." A cat meows at another as two Elsen carry The Batter into an apartment room. Valerie, who was resting under the dining room table, looks up to see the body the two citizens carried.

"He's not from here. Did he enter the city?"

"Yes, I saw him walking outside. He seems to be unaware that Jerusha doesn't accept visitors without approval. He'll be fine now that his body is enveloped by the atmosphere but for safe measures give him the serum."

"Okay, Pablo. Give me one moment," Valerie stretched his paws outwards before prancing into the bathroom. "can one of you two give me a lift? Place the man on the sofa." The Elsen carefully place The Batter onto a sofa just near the apartment door. One of them follows Valerie and picks him up, shifting him near the medicine cabinet. Upon opening, Valerie's tail wraps around a plastic veil with a violet hue. The Elsen breathes quietly as he returns Valerie to the ground. Pablo purrs patiently and watches Valerie do his handy work of feeding The Batter the serum.

"Excellent work, dearest brother. I expect no less."

"Thank you, brother. It's very kind of you. Thanks to you two as well. Your help is everything we have and need. It is much appreciated."

"...Thank you..."

"Yes... Thank you... Very much." The two Elsen smile and retreat into the kitchen. They begin to prepare the cats dinner, as well as their own.

The Batter slowly regains feeling in his arms and legs. Then his chest. Then his eyes. Prior to waking up, he saw a person. Standing. Waving a hand. He saw red pouring down the person's chest. He tried to move towards it, in hopes of... Saving that person. But he couldn't. It was just a dream, and the person continued to wave, bleeding out. He watched in horror, blood pooling around the waving person. _When will he give out? When will it end? Don't die. Don't die, please._ The person waved one last time before dropping onto the blood covered floor. The Batter's heart sank mildly as he watched the body grow cold. _That person is alone now. I'm alone now. Why. What is this. What does it mean._ He was unable to find out, because he is now awake and alive. Two cats sit on his chest, waiting for him to notice them.

"Greetings, visitor. I am The Judge and this is my brother, Valerie. I rescued you from the city entrance. Visitors aren't welcomed without the proper paperwork, fellow stranger. Consider yourself lucky that you survived the smoke at all. Usually bodies would pile up in front of the entrance. But you. You look different." The cat with an ominous grin meows as The Batter listens with a heavy head.

"The serum I gave you will offer immunity from the smoke, an important element for survival in this cityscape. Usually, when people are born in the hospitals, they are injected with the serum right after they're taken from their mothers. It lasts a lifetime, so no need to worry about deadlines." Valerie adds, twitching his tail eagerly. "May I support Pablo's observation by saying you indeed are different from what we've seen before. Are you even human? I don't sense any humanity coming out of you." The cats jump off of The Batter and let him sit up on the sofa. He looks around and sees a contemporary world. Golden flowers adorned the entire room, giving the area life and color. A small portrait of The Judge and Valerie hangs peacefully on a white wall. The Elsen in the kitchen are their caretakers. It's like he was back at the inn, having a cup of tea with Jair. So simple. So clean.

"Since we've helped you, we'd like to know your name, stranger. And why you are here." The Judge mews while Valerie grooms his tail. The Batter turns his head toward them and opens his mouth. He yawns aloud, catching the cats by a subtle surprise. "I guess we'll have to uncover your identity later. It's too late to be asking questions anyway. Our guest room is currently vacant, reside there for the night and we'll talk more later."

"Do you want anything to eat?" Valerie speaks up. The Batter slowly nods and the Elsen take notice. One of them pulls a plate out of the cupboards and serves The Batter some white rice accompanied by a chicken breast. Valerie guides The Batter to the dining room table and seats him next to an Elsen. "It's nothing fancy, but you're our guest. And guests can't sleep with an empty stomach."

"You're too kind, Valerie."

"I try my best." The cats indulge in compliments and meowing as one of the Elsen hand The Batter a fork and knife.

"Umm... I hope... You um. Like it. I made it myself." The Elsen says, sighing loudly before he begins to eat. The Batter quickly eats away and takes a brief pause to taste it. The food is good. It's almost like Jair's cooking.

"It's good."

"...You think so?... Thank you." The airy Elsen is pleased and continues eating, a smile and optimistic vibe surfaces and can be felt by The Batter. The little family and The Batter enjoy their meals until it's time for bed. The Elsen shared the master bedroom with Pablo and Valerie, while The Batter slept alone in the guest room. He dreamt a dream he created, depicting the image of saving that waving person. He made his way towards it and stopped the bleeding. It wasn't enough. It wasn't the right dream. He only woke up to realize it was merely midnight, knowing from the clocks around the room. There were many clocks hanging around the walls and ceilings. This way, nobody will lose track of time in the guest room. In Jerusha, it was always dark due to the clouds of smoke above. The clocks were all the people had to tell whether it was day or night. But tonight, The Batter is restless. The endless ticking surrounding him is becoming a bother, and he wasn't able to save that waving person. Tonight is a bad night.

-ON ON ON-

"Sleep well?" Valerie's voice wakes The Batter from an uncomfortable slumber. The smell of more food enters The Batter's nose. It's a sweet, aromatic scent with a hint of spice.

"No." He mutters, lifting himself up from the mattress in the middle of the room of clocks. His head feels dull, the constant ticking having entered his brain.

"My apologies. Next time we can situate you in the living room. It was poor judgement on our behalf."

"What are they making for breakfast."

"French toast. It's a delicious breakfast item. Have you tried it before?"

"No, I haven't."

"Then surely we can teach you how to make some for lunch. Our caretakers love to take some to work." Valerie mews and crawls away from the guest room as The Batter follows suit. In the kitchen, the two Elsen happily cook the french toast to a nice warm crisp and place them onto plates. Before you know it, they're seated once more, eating their freshly made meals. The Batter tastes a piece of the toast and finds it amazing! A delicious treat that filled him beyond expectations. If Jair learned how to make french toast, he'd love to order it every time he visited the inn.

"So..." The Elsen who didn't cook yesterday moans, a little tired from eating too fast. "What do... you think? I... Make the breakfasts."

"It's delicious. I've never tasted anything like this." The Batter says, a sign of emotion can be felt from his words. The Elsen happily finishes his food and breathes mildly. Valerie and The Judge give out purrs of approval and the dinner Elsen smiles widely. The table is full of cheer and optimism.

"You're a great addition to the family, stranger," The Judge meows. "but can you give us your name and reason now?" The family looks at The Batter as he finishes his last piece of toast.

"My name is The Batter. I'm here to purify Jerusha."

"...Purify...?" Breakfast Elsen asks.

"You want to purify Jerusha? As in clear the smoke?" Valerie adds, his tail curled in interest.

"Yes. By clearing the smoke, the Sun can forgive you all. You can confess and be freed from sin." The Batter stands from his chair with a strong sense of authority. It can be felt among the small family.

"It's like you've truly awakened," The Judge purrs. "if you can truly bring light back into Jerusha, then I'll help you with the information I have concerning the smoke shafts. But you're going to need a way inside, and I know the right person who can help you enter the Grand Factory."

"Tell me. Where can I find that person."

"He's at a place called Le Théâtre de coeur. Its four blocks east from here. I can guide you there."

"If you're leaving, can I come with you, Pablo?" Valerie mews.

"No, I want you to stay with the Elsen. It's unsafe out there."

"I don't want you to go outside either."

"I'll return. I just have to take him there and I'll be back as soon as possible. I promise."

"Okay. Be back for dinner." Valerie's tail slumps down as he speaks with a saddened tone. The Judge then jumps down from his chair and accompanies The Batter out of the apartment. The air remains level, it doesn't feel thin anymore. The Batter inhales a massive amount of air an breathes it out, feeling a little sickened by the smoke. Jerusha is silent. As if time had stopped and all is frozen. Tall buildings and businesses cast shadows on the empty streets. The street lamps offer little assistance in brightening the dark world.

"It's dangerous out here, Batter. We must walk quickly to avoid any unnecessary confrontation." The Judge informs The Batter, moving swiftly down the street. They run past the first two blocks and are stopped by an Elsen standing in the middle of the street. He's emaciated, breathing loudly and forcefully to stay alive.

"He seems harmless. Let's pass by him." The Judge suggests, taking a step forward to see if The Batter will follow.

"No. He needs to be purified. His soul must be put to rest." He says, slowly approaching the Elsen.

"I wouldn't go any closer than that, Batter."

"I will bring you a new light. You will be free." The surrounding smoke suddenly lifts away from The Batter, and a light shines on his right hand. From the beam of light, a bat materializes and glows furiously at the pained Elsen. He suddenly screeches and takes the form of a Critic Burnt, a large headed, charred skinned Elsen in a tremendous amount of pain. The Judge watches, intrigued by this new power.

"Purification in progress."


	3. Three Guardians

The bat The Batter is wielding pierces through the Elsen with ease, burning it to white. It's gone off to heaven, clean and pure again. It must've been the Sun, watching over The Batter through the thick tar black clouds. The Judge's ears prick up in amazement, having witnessed the power of a Savior.

"That was remarkable! And I thought you were a mere madman gone to kill yourself in the midst of this city. You can now light the rest of the way with that gleaming bat of yours. We're almost there, Batter. It's just around that corner." The two continue down the street and spot a building that stands out from the rest. It has red neon lights outlining its windows, and a large sign saying:

"Le Theatre de coeur. It's a fancy place isn't it. Compared to the rest of Jerusha that is. Its a bar and lounge, fit for anyone who consider themselves wealthy and above all men. Our friend inside is the host of the top floor, drinking and telling stories to the wealthiest in need of an even greater service. Let's hurry now, standing on the streets changes you." The Judge pounces onto the buildings porch and scratches the door vigorously. The Batter walks forth and knocks on it.

"Who goes there? Any invitation?" a voice calls out from behind the main door. The Batter picks The Judge up and brings him close to the door.

"I've no invitation but a broken heart to fix." The cat meows loudly and the door clicks open.

"Pablo! It's been a long while. Found someone in your life already?"

"Not quite. I live with my brother now. His safety is all of my concern."

"I see, and this man carrying you? He looks so bizarre."

"I'm helping him with something confidential. I must meet Zacharie, is he available?" The tall man who opened the door shakes his head and leans down to them.

"He's tending 'them'. They've been upstairs for a long while now, I'm a little worried."

"Who's 'them'?" The Batter abruptly asks, breaking his silence. The Judge chooses not to respond and wriggles out of The Batter's grasp.

"We'll come back another day, thank you for your time." Just as The Judge begins to leave, The Batter pushes the doorman aside and enters the building. It's a dim lit corridor with seats around the sides. Elsen and other people sit patiently for their turns inside their corresponding rooms. As he walks down the corridor, an elevator door stands tall and waits for anything to pull it up to the other floors. Small pattering is heard as The Judge runs after The Batter. "Don't do this, Batter. You don't know what you're going to find up there!" But The Batter enters the elevator and presses the button for the top floor. The Judge sneaks in and sits next to his feet. There's music playing inside the elevator, a slow and cold tone. It almosts matches his own heartbeat. Slow and steady. A chime rings quietly and the doors slide open to present a rather odd scene. Two men and a bird yell and chirp loudly after being told a joke, and a thin and fair figure sits in the middle of them, drinking from a thin glass. The music heard from the elevator is louder here, and the lazy heartbeats no longer match that of The Batters. These three creatures are laughing and screaming. Laughing among men and women. The tall figure stops and looks at the open elevator, suddenly screeching in rage.

"Wait your fucking turn you scum! Can't you see we're all busy here?!" He walks towards the two inside the elevator and examines them close, holding the doors from closing. "Name your business. You won't get out of this easily now."

"My name is Pablo, I was a regular here, sir," The Judge purrs nervously. "My friend here urgently needs Zacharies words. You see, he's alone and walks the streets unaware of it's beautiful effects. Jerusha is a city of acceptance and comfort! Yes, it is. And he must find a partner to live the rest of his life with." The Batter looks at The Judge with a slightly confused look. Jerusha isn't a 'beautiful' place. There is nothing 'comfortable' about it. It must be purified. To set everyone free.

"I'm pretty sure he can wai-"

"Bring him in. We can all have a free session." The figure in the shadows commands, raising his glass briefly before a servant enters from a different door and pours a substance into the glass.

"Consider it something new and fun, Dedan!" The Bird chirps, clearly drunk. "We can learn and help the man! Like, teach him how to have fun. And stuff!" The Judge guides The Batter forward, seating him besides the large man sitting quietly to the left of the figure. The small cat then leaps in front of the silhouette and sits down.

"Zacharie, it has been some time."

"It has, little friend. I'm surprised you came back after a long absence! I would continue to speak in length and useful dialogue but it'll spoil our team session. I will explain this to your friend later along the lines. For now, what breaks your heart, new guest?"

"I strongly suggest you don't ask him anything until after, Zacharie. His response will be a nasty one."

"I say let him talk! No need to hide secrets!" The bird sings, flopping over to the ground. Dedan shrugs his shoulders and sighs.

"Japhet needs to go home. Enoch, please tell me your head is out of the fucking clouds to take him away... Enoch... Fucking hell." The big man called Enoch stares blankly at a wall, a small grin on his face. There's a piece of rolled paper in between his lips, releasing a thin stream of smoke. Zacharie stands up from his seat and walks toward the slumbering giant, removing the joint and waking Enoch up.

"What's going on? What did you want, Dedan?"

"Take Japhet home, you moron."

"Oh! Yes. How about you? Are you coming home too?"

"Fine. Thank you for your time." Dedan thanks Zacharie and helps Enoch with the lousy Japhet, all crawling out of the room and into the elevator. How were they able to fit in such compact space? There is no answer.

They walk in three. They share in three. It's only natural that they fit in three.

The Batter stands and stares at Zacharie, a masked man with rather simple or boring attire. He's wearing a T-Shirt with a black heart in the middle, dark pants, and dark shoes. The toad-like face on his mask almost looks like it's staring right back at him. "Zacharie," The Judge interrupts. "we need to know how to enter the Grand Factory."

"Ending the story so soon?" Zacharie asks, pulling his mask enough to try out the weird cigarette. "I'll talk to your friend first before giving you two the switch."

"My friend would like the explanation, why this building is what it is. Who 'they' are."

"Well, let's start with introductions. You should know by now that my name is Zacharie. I create a medium of escape from Jerusha's smoke. Yes, the air here is breathable and clean. If you want to have a good time, just enter any room and think. Dream what you couldn't. Feel what you couldn't. Because without the smoke, you are free, even if its temporary."

"I'm The Batter. And I'm here to purify Jerusha. I will give everyone permanent freedom." The Judge's ears twitch wildly. He faces Zacharie who's emotions were well hidden behind the toad mask.

"If you believe in yourself, then sure you can try that. Are you capable of purifying things at all?" Zacharie says with a skeptical attitude. Is there ever such thing as complete freedom?

"Yes, I am. I've released an Elsen from his suffering outside." The Batter takes a step closer to Zacharie, the small cat who was once sitting now pounces in between the two men.

"That is indeed true," The Judge adds. "he has a shining bat. One sent to him by the Sun itself." The Batter presents the bright weapon to Zacharie, who nods slowly.

"If there is such thing as hope, then first you must know about the Three Guardians. You know their names: Dedan, Enoch, and Japhet. They guard the Grand Factory's switches. The ones you need to activate the cleansing process of the smoke shafts. It's no easy battle. You have to fight all three at the same time. Take a seat over there. Pablo, can you give us a moment?" Zacharie points at the adorned chair he sat at before The Judge and Batter entered the room. The Judge laughs and crawls away to a door located to the right of the room.

"Make sure you don't leave out any details. I doubt he'll bend easily, my friend." The Judge meows before he's out of sight. Once The Batter is seated, Zacharie stands in front of him and crosses his arms.

"I'll tell you everything you need to know. Just try to keep up." The masked man hums while he holds on to his mask, removing it slowly, and revealing the human hiding behind it.


	4. Four Stacks

"You can try to fight them alone. I doubt you'll survive but you're full of surprises, aren't you?" Zacharie beckons with a thin, wide smile. To The Batter's amazement, Zacharie looks more human than anybody has ever seen. Either too human, or not human at all. Just what exactly are humans supposed to look like? Is it that diverse of a species? But Zacharie was all too different. There is no distortion to his image, he is proportional. That face he hid all this time was an intimidating one.

"I can fight them."

"On your own?"

"Yes."

"No. You can't. And you won't. Let me pitch a curve ball at you," Zacharie insists, taking two steps closer to The Batter. "if you do come out of there alive, I'll buy you a drink and admit I was wrong. But if you come back crying with your butt handed back to you, I'll keep you here to keep me company. What do you say?"

"No," The Batter responds. "if you strongly insist that I don't fight alone, join me. The Judge can come with us too." He surprises Zacharie with his answer.

"That was easier than I thought. Well, I'll accept that, but Pablo's paying for something else. He can't crawl in without buying something, so we agreed on a little service for you."

"This agreement wasn't even in the story. Did you two make some secret code of eye contact?"

"Maybe, and hey, the fourth wall breaking is my role. And the questions. Are you indirectly mocking me?"

"Maybe."

"Okay, that's good enough." Zacharie leaps forward and jumps onto The Batter, tipping the chair over along with him. Black strand of hair dangle about as the unmasked man looks down at the purifier. He smiles at first, rolling his hips against The Batter's thighs. He leans down and kisses his neck.

"What the hell are you doing." The Batter says, untouched by Zacharie's advances. The unmasked man stops and stares at him wide eyed. He tries to kiss him more. On the cheek, on his lips. He even presses his knee against The Batter's lower section, obtaining no response.

"You... Don't feel anything?"

"Yes, I feel you touching me all over and it's uncomfortable. Please stop."

"You almost scared me there. Are you tense? Calm down for once. This is supposed to feel warm and nice."

"I don't see what's warm and nice about you rubbing your body against mine."

"... You're tearing me apart here." Zacharie sighs loudly and lies down on top of The Batter. The two are still for a long time, unaware of the flying time. The Batter's not bothered by Zacharie resting on him, but it looks bizarre in his perspective. Isn't Zacharie a man? Not a woman? Or is love a concept without boundaries? He just recently met him, and knows nothing about him at all. It must be this service. His role as a host. It rises more questions. Would Zacharie actually 'serve' the three guardians? They hardly look human enough to receive it. But this Zacharie. This almost perfect looking human. This is not a place for him. He is too perfect looking for this. Anything but here. He'll be free as well. Maybe he'll go with The Batter back to Gershom so they can enjoy eternal sunshine and french toast with The Judge and his family. That sounds like a happy ending. An ending The Batter would choose for the end of this mission. Jerusha is no place for a perfect looking human, because it'll distort his image, and make him a different 'thing'. The Batter looks at the forest of black hair in front of him and raises a hand, stroking the hair aside. It's soft.

-ON ON ON-

There are no clocks, so time is not told. One can only trust his instinct to tell time. The Judge is on standby, licking his paws with his rough tongue. Zacharie and The Batter are sound asleep, laying down on the room floor. "They didn't do anything, that almost surprises me." The Judge purrs, finishing up on his grooming. The Batter hears the cat's meows and sits up, holding Zacharie along with him. "Had fun?"

"Is it morning time yet."

"It is, indeed. Did Zacharie tell you how to get in?"

"No."

"Seems like he was impatient to lose our bet." The Judge snickers.

"You even made a bet out of context." The Batter snaps monotonically. The Judge only smiles his eerie smile and meows plainly. But the savior looks down at his sleeping acquaintance, thinking deeply. Staring deeply down.

"Charming, isn't he?" The Judge taunts, smiling widely. "Too bad he's just as lost as the rest of us in Jerusha. You're like the knight in shining armor with a white horse, only without the horse, and a shining bat instead."

"If he's Prince Charming why won't he feel affection correctly," Zacharie laughs as he leans his head on The Batter's chest. "go hand me my cat mask, Pablo. I hope you're well aware that you're fighting alongside us when we reach the Grand Factory."

"I'm... What?"

"Don't worry, I have to help too. The Batter insisted that we all worked together to fight the three guardians."

"You wouldn't have it any other way." The Batter retorts.

"I don't want you to die," Zacharie grins as The Judge hands him his mask. "I sorta like you." He quickly puts on the mask and meows.

"Humans," The Judge purrs. "your sentiment is your own embarrassment. So tell us, Zacharie. How do we get to the Grand Factory."

"With this key. It unlocks the back entrance, which is poorly guarded by the Burnt. With that bat of yours, I'm sure you can get past them with ease. We'll arrive at the cleaning facilities and from there, we can find a staircase leading to the lower floors. The last floor down is where the switches are kept. The guardians, however, are scattered around the lower floors. If luck is on our side, we wouldn't have to encounter any of them. But that would be too easy and boring. So all in all, we storm in and turn the cleansing switches on." He tosses a silver key at The Batter, who catches it. "Another set back is the smoke stacks. We have to enter when the smoke is a light grey. Entering while its pitch black is a zero percent survival rate. Why? Black smoke indicates the 'Night Shift'. Aside from their normal, boring employers, they test these man made creatures to defend the factory for twelve hours. It's like some experiment they like to hold every now and then. I would watch the smoke if I were you. If we enter while it's grey and it changes on us, you better have a good reason as to why we shouldn't get the hell out before it's too late."

"The Sun can help me, we don't need to worry about the smoke."

"Well, if that's the case, then we're set. I need to return home to tell Valerie I'll be joining you. Can you two come with me?"

"Of course, Pablo! Anything for a good old cat friend." Zacharie stands up and offers The Batter a hand. He accepts it and is lifted up from the floor. The three now enter the elevator for the last time. For they will be leaving this building forever. As they reach the ground floor, the music doesn't match their heartbeats. They are nervous. They are excited. But most of all, they are scared and bent, wondering what is ahead of them once they embark on their final mission.


End file.
